In a business environment, many workers require access to computing resources in order to perform their work functions. For example, an administrative assistant may require access to word processing, data processing, and database access functions. An engineer may require computer aided drafting (“CAD”) applications and complex simulation software. Some businesses provide computing resources for their workers by acquiring personal computers for each worker. Personal computers may be configured with varying amounts of memory, storage, and processing capabilities. Identifying the appropriate configuration for each worker is a difficult problem. If computing resources are provided to a worker that significantly exceed the computing requirements of the worker, the excess resources may be wasted. If insufficient computing resources are provided to a worker, the worker's ability to perform work functions may be impaired and the computer system may require early replacement or expensive upgrades.
Some businesses have chosen to address these problems by acquiring computing resources from online service providers on demand. An online service provider can provide computing services to workers via thin clients or terminals. While this model provides some level of increased flexibility in adjusting the amount of computing resources provided, it can still be difficult to determine the optimal amount of computing resources to provide to each worker and is nevertheless prone to the issues discussed above, among others.